Supreme Court rules against delegate system in party primaries, mandates broader member participation
The Supreme Court has declared the delegate system used by political parties to elect presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional. In a 5-2 majority ruling in Prof Frimpong-Boateng & 2 Others v NPP & 4 Others, the court mandated opening party primaries to all registered members. While acknowledging this change will not eliminate money politics, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated it would make electoral corruption significantly more difficult. The court's judgment, shared by Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai, explained that the delegate system concentrates power, making targeted inducements easier. A broader electorate, by dispersing political power among thousands of ordinary members, makes it harder for a small number of transactions to influence electoral outcomes. The court concluded that Ghana's constitutional democracy requires political parties to adopt a more inclusive model for internal elections, aligning with the Constitution's preference for constituting political authority.
